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67-502: The M201 employed a simple conventional structure, designed around a light metal frame with two rigid axles suspended on leaf springs. The four-cylinder in-line engine was a modified Willys Go Devil engine and was positioned at the front and the gear box, alongside the torque splitter, was in the middle of the vehicle alongside the driver. Maximum power is 60 hp (44 kW). There was no roof and there were no doors. The standard version provided seating for four and an open load area at

134-489: A dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) 7.6-liter four-cylinder (110x200 mm) with four valves per cylinder. It proved faster than other cars of its time, and Boillot won the 1912 French Grand Prix at an average of 68.45 mph (110.2 km/h), despite losing third gear and taking a 20-minute pit stop. In May 1913, Goux took one to Indianapolis , and won at an average of 75.92 mph (122.2 km/h), recording straightaway speeds of 93.5 mph (150.5 km/h). making Peugeot

201-423: A 1,149 cc (70 cu in) two-cylinder and six four-cylinders, of between two and six liters. In addition, a new factory opened the same year at Sochaux, which became the main plant in 1928. A more famous name, Ettore Bugatti , designed the new 850 cc (52 cu in) four-cylinder Bébé of 1912. The same year, Peugeot returned to racing with a team of three driver-engineers (a breed typical of

268-535: A 3 hp Peugeot. Five Peugeots qualified for the main event, and all finished. Lemaître finished 3 min 30 sec behind the Comte de Dion whose steam-powered car was ineligible for the official competition. Three Peugeots were entered in the Paris–Bordeaux–Paris , where they were beaten by Panhard's car (despite an average speed of 20.8 km/h (12.9 mph) and taking the 31,500 franc prize). This also marked

335-613: A company on the same terms as a private investor as state aid. The equity participation by Dongfeng expanded an already budding relationship with Peugeot. The pair at the time were jointly operating three car-manufacturing plants in China, with a capacity of producing 750,000 vehicles a year. In July 2014, the joint venture, Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën , disclosed they were building a fourth factory in China in Chengdu , in Sichuan Province, targeting

402-596: A controlling interest in Automobiles Hotchkiss in 1942. A popular model introduced in 1955 was the Peugeot 403 . With a 1.5-liter engine, it sold one million copies by the end of its production run in 1962. The company began selling cars in the United States in 1958, and in 1960 introduced the Peugeot 404 , which used a 1,618 cc (99 cu in) engine, tilted 45 degrees. The 404 proved rugged enough to win

469-487: A four-wheeled car with a petrol-fuelled internal combustion engine built by Panhard under Daimler licence. The car was more sophisticated than many of its contemporaries, with a three-point suspension and a sliding-gear transmission. An example was sold to the young Alberto Santos-Dumont , who exported it to Brazil. More cars followed, 29 being built in 1892, 40 in 1894, 72 in 1895, 156 in 1898, and 300 in 1899. These early models were given "type" numbers. Peugeot became

536-512: A loss of about 70 million euros. In October 2013, Peugeot closed their production plant at Aulnay-sous-Bois as part of a restructuring plan to reduce overcapacity in the face of a shrinking domestic market. By December 2013, Chinese investors were rumoured to be potential investors. In February 2014, the Peugeot family agreed to give up control of the company by reducing its holdings from 25% to 14%. As part of this agreement, Dongfeng Motors and

603-553: A new factory at Audincourt to focus entirely on cars. In 1899, sales hit 300; total car sales for all of France that year were 1,200. The same year, Lemaître won the Nice-Castellane-Nice Rally in a special 5,850 cc (357 cu in) 20 hp (14.9 kW) racer. At the 1901 Paris Salon , Peugeot debuted a tiny shaft-driven 652 cc (40 cu in) 5 hp (3.7 kW) one-cylinder, dubbed " Bébé " ("baby"), and shed its conservative image, becoming

670-526: A new factory at Sanand , Gujarat . Peugeot re-entered the Philippines in 2012 after having a short presence in 2005 with distribution done by the Alvarez Group. In March 2012, General Motors purchased a 7% share in Peugeot for 320 million euros as part of a cooperation aimed at finding savings through joint purchasing and product development . In December 2013, GM sold its entire Peugeot stake, taking

737-544: A style leader. After placing 19th in the 1902 Paris-Vienna Rally with a 50 hp (37.3 kW) 11,322 cc (691 cu in) racer, and failing to finish with two similar cars, Peugeot quit racing. In 1898, Peugeot Motocycles presents at the Paris Motorshow the first motorcycle equipped with a Dion-Bouton motor. Peugeot Motocycles remains the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. Peugeot added motorcycles to its range in 1901, and they have been built under

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804-545: A year by the late 1980s. It won plaudits for its styling, ride and handling. It remained on sale in many markets until 1998, overlapping with the introduction of the 106 in 1991, and ceasing production at the launch of the 206 , the best-selling Peugeot model of all time, with 8,358,217 cars sold by 2012. As part of the Guangzhou Peugeot Automobile Company (GPAC) joint venture, the Peugeot 504 and 505 were built in China from 1985 to 1997. By 1987,

871-424: Is a French automobile brand owned by Stellantis . The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was established in 1810, making it the oldest car company in the world. On 20 November 1858, Émile Peugeot applied for the lion trademark . Armand Peugeot (1849–1915) built the company's first vehicle, a steam-powered tricycle . In 1886, the company collaborated with Léon Serpollet , followed by

938-631: The 402 BL Éclipse Décapotable , the first convertible with a retractable hardtop  — an idea followed later by the Ford Skyliner in the 1950s and revived in the modern era by the Mitsubishi 3000GT Spyder in 1995. More recently, many manufacturers have offered retractable hardtops, including Peugeot itself with the 206-cc. Three models of the 1930s were the Peugeot 202 , Peugeot 302 , and Peugeot 402 . These cars had curvaceous designs, with headlights behind sloping grille bars, evidently inspired by

1005-547: The Aéronautique Militaire . Additionally, Peugeot were one of the major license producers of the Hispano-Suiza 8 aero engines which powered many French and British fighter aircraft during the second half of the conflict. After the war, car production resumed in earnest. Racing continued as well, with Boillot entering the 1919 Targa Florio in a 2.5-liter (150-in ) car designed for an event pre-empted by World War I;

1072-805: The Chrysler Airflow . The 2.1-liter 402 entered production in 1935 and was produced until the end of 1941, despite France's occupation by the Nazis. For 1936, the new Airflow-inspired 302 (which ran until 1938) and a 402-based large model, designed by Andrean, featured a vertical fin and bumper, with the first high-mounted taillight. The entry-level 202 was built in series from 1938 to 1942, and about 20 more examples were built from existing stocks of supplies in February 1945. The 202 lifted Peugeot's sales in 1939 to 52,796, just behind Citroën . Regular production began again in mid-1946, and lasted into 1949. Peugeot assisted

1139-678: The Delahaye VLR , a vehicle that had much in common with the Jeep, but which was newly designed and French. The Delahaye was relatively complex, technically, but the French military insisted that this was not a problem for them. Nevertheless, by 1955, with just 9,623 of the Delahaye vehicle produced and the Delahaye company itself financially dead, production of the Delahaye VLR was suddenly abandoned very soon after Delahaye ran out of money and its assets fell into

1206-530: The East African Safari Rally four times, in 1963, 1966, 1967, and 1968. More models followed, many styled by Pininfarina , such as the 504 , one of Peugeot's most distinctive models. Like many European manufacturers, collaboration with other firms increased; Peugeot worked with Renault from 1966 and Volvo from 1972. The results of this cooperation included the development of the V6 PRV engine , which

1273-522: The First World War , Peugeot turned largely to arms production, becoming a major manufacturer of arms and military vehicles, from armoured cars and bicycles to shells. Between 1917 and 1920 the company produced 4,084 Type 1525 trucks . Peugeot also manufactured aircraft engines . The firm designed and built the Peugeot 8Aa engines which equipped the 1,123 Voisin VIII bombers and cannon fighters used by

1340-856: The Indianapolis 500 in 1913, 1916, and 1919. Peugeot Sport has won the World Rally Championship five times (1985, 1986, 2000, 2001, 2002), the Dakar Rally seven times (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2016, 2017, 2018), the 24 Hours of Le Mans three times (1992, 1993, 2009), the World Endurance Championship twice (1992, 1993), the Intercontinental Rally Challenge Championship three times, the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup twice (2010, 2011), and

1407-582: The Peugeot Indenor diesel engine introduced for the Peugeot 403 in 1959. This was an exceptionally good year for the Hotchkiss Jeep and the military took 4,370 of the vehicles, while the civilian market took just 269. Where they were used outside the army, the Hotchkiss Jeeps were chiefly used in agriculture and forestry. In 1981, with 8,000 Jeeps in use, the army finally took the decision to replace

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1474-537: The Peugeot 505 design aged. For a time, distribution in the Canadian market was handled by Chrysler . Several ideas to turn around sales in the United States, such as including the Peugeot 205 in its lineup, were considered but not pursued. In the early 1990s, the newly introduced 405 proved uncompetitive with domestic and import models in the same market segment, and sold less than 1,000 units. Total sales fell to 4,261 units in 1990 and 2,240 through July 1991, which caused

1541-496: The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb three times (1988, 1989, 2013). The Peugeot family of Valentigney , Montbéliard , Franche-Comté , France began in the manufacturing business in 1810 with a steel foundry, which quickly started manufacturing saws ; then other hand tools and, circa 1840 to 1842, coffee grinders ; then, in 1874, pepper grinders; and then, circa 1880, bicycles . The company's entry into

1608-462: The Quartermaster Corps called for only 85 lb⋅ft (115 N⋅m) of torque at the rear axle. The extra power made it the engine of choice for the U.S. Army. The engine displacement was 134.2 cu in (2,199 cc) with a 3.125 in (79.4 mm) bore and 4.375 in (111.1 mm) stroke, a very undersquare design. It was an L-head design, with valves parallel with

1675-532: The "Go Devil" engine rated at 55 hp (41 kW; 56 PS) included a heavier transmission, a combination that proved to be beneficial in the long-run for use in cross-country travel. The engine was developed by Willys' Chief Engineer, Delmar "Barney" Roos , and was the most powerful of the three prototype vehicles evaluated by the U.S. Army for production. Roos took the "less than impressive" 48 hp (36 kW; 49 PS) automobile engine and increased its performance and durability. The specifications by

1742-403: The 1913 French Grand Prix , an improved L5 (with 5,655 cc (345 cu in) engine) was produced with a pioneering ballbearing crankshaft , gear-driven camshafts, and dry sump lubrication, all of which soon became standard on racing cars; Zuccarelli was killed during testing on public roads, but Boillot easily won the event, making him (and Peugeot) the race's first double winner. For

1809-527: The 1914 French GP, Peugeot was overmatched by Mercedes , and despite a new innovation, four-wheel brakes (against the Mercedes' rear-only), Georges proved unable to match them and the car broke down. (Surprisingly, a 1914 model turned a 103 mph (165.8 km/h) lap in practice at Indy in 1949, yet it failed to qualify.) Peugeot was more fortunate in 1915, winning at the French GP and Vanderbilt Cup . During

1876-467: The 2 million mark. In mid-2009, "adverse market and industry conditions" were blamed for falls in sales and operating losses. Christian Streiff was replaced by Philippe Varin (CEO) and Jean-Pierre Ploué (head of design) was transferred from his post at Citroën. In 2009, Peugeot returned to the Canadian market with the scooter brand only. Peugeot still plans on developing new models to compete in segments where it currently does not compete. Collin said that

1943-457: The Depression hit; Peugeot sales decreased, but the company survived. The Peugeot system of using three-digit names with a central 0 was introduced in 1929. The first digit has always signified the car's size and the final digit has indicated the generation of the vehicle. In 1933, attempting a revival of fortune, the company unveiled a new, aerodynamically styled range. In 1934, Peugeot introduced

2010-458: The E.R.G.M. (Etablissement de Réserve Générale du Matériel Automobile) began work to make the vehicles usable at a Paris suburb called Maltournée, in what is now the department of Seine-Saint-Denis , to the north-east of Paris. The Jeeps in the poorest condition were broken up in order to be used as spare parts. However, this quickly created a larger inventory of many spare parts than would ever be used, and work began on building quasi-new Jeeps using

2077-568: The French automaker competed in 72% of market segments in 2007, but he wanted to get that figure up to 90%. Despite Peugeot's sportscar racing program, the company is not prepared to build a pure sportscar any more hardcore than the RC Z sports-coupe. It is also pursuing government funding to develop a diesel-hybrid drivetrain , which might be key to its expansion. By 2010, Peugeot planned on pursuing new markets, mainly in China, Russia, and South America. In 2011 it decided to re-enter India after 14 years with

Hotchkiss M201 - Misplaced Pages Continue

2144-477: The French government were each to buy 14% stakes in the company, creating three partners with equal voting rights. The board of directors was to be composed of six independent members, two representatives of each Dongfeng, the French state and the Peugeot family, and two members representing employees and employees shareholders. The French government took the view the deal did not require approval by Brussels as EU competition rules do not count public investment in

2211-473: The German war effort by manufacturing armored vehicles. In 1946, the company restarted car production with the 202, delivering 14,000 copies. In 1947, Peugeot introduced the Peugeot 203 , with coil springs, rack-and-pinion steering, and hydraulic brakes. The 203 set new Peugeot sales records, remaining in production until 1960. Peugeot took over Chenard-Walcker in 1950, having already been required to acquire

2278-504: The M201 as a VLTT ('Véhicule Léger Tout Terrain' aka "Light all-terrain vehicle"). The standard vehicles were mostly used as staff cars or radio cars. For use in Northern Africa the company developed a "Sahara" version, featuring a strengthened chassis, firmer springing at the back, a supplementary tool box under the front grille and a second fuel tank beneath the passenger seat. Before long

2345-552: The M201 with the Mercedes designed Peugeot P4 . Nearly two decades later, in 2000, the last of the M201s was taken out of service. Willys Go Devil engine The Willys L134 (nicknamed Go Devil ) is a straight-4 flathead automobile engine that was made famous in the Willys MB and Ford GPW Jeep produced during World War II . It powered nearly all the Jeep vehicles built for

2412-607: The Peugeot and Citroën brands while sharing engineering and technical resources. Peugeot thus briefly controlled the Italian Maserati marque, but disposed of it in May 1975. The group then took over the European division of Chrysler (which were formerly Rootes and Simca ) in 1978 as the American auto manufacturer struggled to survive. Soon, the whole Chrysler/Simca range was sold under

2479-484: The Peugeot name ever since. By 1903, Peugeot produced half of the cars built in France, and they offered the 5 hp (4 kW) Bébé , a 6.5 hp (4.8 kW) four-seater, and an 8 hp (6.0 kW) and 12 hp (8.9 kW) resembling contemporary Mercedes models. The 1907 salon showed Peugeot's first six-cylinder and marked Tony Huber joining as an engine builder. By 1910, Peugeot's product line included

2546-411: The Peugeot saw blades. The car and motorcycle company and the bicycle company parted ways in 1926, but the family-owned Cycles Peugeot continued to build bicycles throughout the 20th century until the brand name was sold off to unrelated firms. The family-owned firm Peugeot Saveurs continues to make and market grinders and other kitchen and table-service equipment. Armand Peugeot became interested in

2613-601: The U.S. and Allies. It was later used in a variety of civilian Jeep vehicles. In 1940, the Willys Quad was built to compete against the Bantam reconnaissance car for evaluation by the U.S. Army. The two prototype Quads were powered by the Willys “Go-Devil” engine that turned out to be the automaker's greatest asset. Willys' pilot vehicle was overweight compared to the Army's requirements, but

2680-415: The automobile early on and, after meeting with Gottlieb Daimler and others were convinced of its viability. The first Peugeot automobile, a three-wheeled, steam-powered car designed by Léon Serpollet , was produced in 1889; only four examples were made. Steam power was heavy and bulky and required lengthy warmup times. In 1890, after meeting Daimler and Émile Levassor , steam was abandoned in favour of

2747-612: The back of the Type 15 . It also served as the basis of a nearly exact copy produced by Rochet-Schneider . Further improvements followed: the engine moved to the front on the Type 48 and was soon under a bonnet at the front of the car, instead of hidden underneath; the steering wheel was adopted on the Type 36 , and they began to look more like the modern car. Also in 1896, Armand Peugeot broke away from Les Fils de Peugeot Frères to form his own company, Société Anonyme des Automobiles Peugeot, building

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2814-494: The back. The windscreen could be folded forward over the engine hood/bonnet. For road use the rear axle was driven, power being switchable also to the front axle for off-road use. The gearbox provided three forward speeds and one reverse speed for road use, and for off-road use a lower "crawler" ratio was available. There was no limited slip differential but the vehicle's light weight and the available gearing nevertheless provided excellent off-road capability. The military defined

2881-504: The car had 200,000 km (120,000 mi) on it, yet Boillot won with an impressive drive (the best of his career) Peugeots in his hands were third in the 1925 Targa, first in the 1922 and 1925 Coppa Florios , first in the 1923 and 1925 Touring Car Grands Prix, and first at the 1926 Spa 24 Hours . Peugeot introduced a five-valve-per-cylinder, triple-overhead-cam engine for the Grand Prix, conceived by Marcel Gremillon (who had criticised

2948-555: The closure of the Ryton manufacturing facility in Coventry , England. This announcement resulted in the loss of 2,300 jobs, as well as about 5,000 jobs in the supply chain. The plant produced its last Peugeot 206 on 12 December 2006, and finally closed down in January 2007. Peugeot set an ambitious target of selling 4 million units annually by the end of the decade. In 2008, its sales stayed below

3015-744: The company had dropped the Talbot brand for passenger cars when it ceased production of the Simca-based Horizon , Alpine , and Solara models, as well as the Talbot Samba supermini which was based on the Peugeot 104 . What was to be called the Talbot Arizona became the Peugeot 309 , with the former Rootes plant in Ryton and Simca plant in Poissy being turned over for Peugeot assembly. Producing Peugeots in Ryton

3082-487: The company to cease its U.S. and Canada operations after 33 years. In 1997, just six years after pulling out of both United States and Canadian markets, Peugeot returned to Mexico after a 36-year absence, under the Chile–Mexico Free Trade Agreement . However, Peugeot models (1997–present) are not to be bought or imported into the United States from Mexico. On 18 April 2006, PSA Peugeot Citroën announced

3149-484: The consistently profitable cycle division seeking to free itself from the rather more cyclical auto business, and taking over the defunct Bellanger and De Dion companies in 1927. In 1928, the Type 183 was introduced. New for 1929 was the Peugeot 201 , the cheapest car on the French market, and the first to use the later Peugeot trademark (and registered as such)—three digits with a central zero. The 201 would get independent front suspension in 1931, Soon afterwards,

3216-509: The cylinders. Initial power output was 60 hp (45 kW; 61 PS) at 4000 rpm and 105 lb⋅ft (142 N⋅m) of torque at 2000 rpm with 6.48:1 compression. The L134 was phased out by the F-head Willys Hurricane engine beginning in 1950. Peugeot Peugeot ( UK : / ˈ p ɜː ʒ oʊ / , US : / p ( j ) uː ˈ ʒ oʊ / , French: [pøʒo] )

3283-408: The debut of Michelin pneumatic tyres in racing, also on a Peugeot; they proved insufficiently durable. Nevertheless, the vehicles were still very much horseless carriages in appearance and were steered by a tiller . In 1896, the first Peugeot engines were built; no longer were they reliant on Daimler. Designed by Rigoulot, the first engine was an 8 hp (6.0 kW) horizontal twin fitted to

3350-554: The development of an internal combustion car in 1890, which used a Panhard - Daimler engine. The Peugeot family and company are originally from Sochaux , where Peugeot still operates a large manufacturing facility and the Peugeot Museum . Peugeot vehicles have received numerous international accolades, including six European Car of the Year awards. The brand also boasts over a century of success in motorsport, with victories including

3417-405: The early DOHC), but the engine was a failure. The same year, Peugeot debuted 10 hp (7.5 kW) and 14 hp (10.4 kW) fours, the larger based on the Type 153 , and a 6-liter 25 hp (19 kW) sleeve valve six, as well as a new cyclecar , La Quadrilette . During the 1920s, Peugeot expanded, in 1926 splitting the cycle (pedal and motor) business off to form Cycles Peugeot,

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3484-455: The end of the decade, with the military taking delivery of 2,696 of the vehicles in 1959 alone. The civilian market proved more fickle, however, taking no more than 366 JH-101 models (the designation given by Hotchkiss to the civilian versions of the vehicle, beginning in 1955) in 1959, down from 987 in 1958. By 1966 Hotchkiss had produced 27,628 M201s, mostly at a plant in Stains , a short distance to

3551-519: The first manufacturer to fit rubber tyres (solid, rather than pneumatic ) to a petrol-powered car. Due to family discord, Armand Peugeot founded the Société des Automobiles Peugeot, in 1896, but in 1910 it was merged back with the family's Peugeot bicycle and motorcycle business. Peugeot was an early pioneer in motor racing, with Albert Lemaître winning the world's first motor race, the Paris–Rouen , in

3618-502: The first non-American-based auto company to win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1914, Boillot's 3-liter L5 set a new Indy lap record of 99.5 mph (160.1 km/h), and Duray placed second (beaten by ex-Peugeot ace René Thomas in a 6,235 cc (380 cu in) Delage ). Another (driven by Boillot's brother, André ) placed in 1915; similar models won in 1916 ( Dario Resta ) and 1919 ( Howdy Wilcox ). For

3685-459: The hands of Automobiles Hotchkiss . At this stage the E.R.G.M was still supplying reconstructed Jeeps from its stock of surplus parts at Maltournée, but with the Delahaye VLR no longer available the army decided that a more permanent solution for supply of light all-terrain reconnaissance vehicles would need to be found. Hotchkiss had by now built up a reasonable understanding of the Jeeps, having been

3752-485: The manufacture of 300,000 sport-utility and multipurpose vehicles a year, starting towards the end of 2016. In January 2015, Indian multinational automotive giant Mahindra & Mahindra purchased a major stake of 51% of Peugeot Motocycles for a price of 28 million euro. In 2020, it was announced that a merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and PSA is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021. The combined company will be called Stellantis . The merger

3819-558: The north of Paris. Possibly on grounds of price, and possibly because of the lack of a suitable dealer network, attempts to sell the vehicle into the civilian market never amounted to much. In January 1961 the civilian version was homologated with the government as the JH-102, replacing the JH-101 and entering production little by little during the ensuing months, albeit with few obvious differences. For 1962 Hotchkiss offered an alternative power unit,

3886-475: The pioneer period, exemplified by Enzo Ferrari among others): Jules Goux (graduate of Arts et Metiers , Paris), Paolo Zuccarelli (formerly of Hispano-Suiza ), and Georges Boillot (collectively called Les Charlatans ), with 26-year-old Swiss engineer Ernest Henry to make their ideas reality. The company decided voiturette (light car) racing was not enough, and chose to try grandes épreuves (grand touring). They did so with an engineering tour de force :

3953-429: The revived Talbot badge until the production of Talbot-branded passenger cars was shelved in 1987 and on commercial vehicles in 1992. In 1983, Peugeot launched the successful Peugeot 205 supermini, which is largely credited for turning the company's fortunes around. The 205 was regularly the bestselling car in France, and was also popular in other parts of Europe, including Britain, where sales regularly topped 50,000

4020-558: The supplier, where needed, of manufactured spare parts to the Maltournée-based assembly operation, and having also itself been producing Jeeps, primarily for civilian use in France, under licence from Willys. 70 CJ-3Bs were built under license for civilian users in 1954. In 1955 465 Jeeps were produced, and these were called Hotchkiss Licence MBs . From 1956 the vehicle was known simply as the Hotchkiss M201. Volumes picked up towards

4087-420: The surplus spare parts obtained by breaking up the least usable of the used US-military Jeeps. As time progressed, this production process, which continued to operate until 1978, increasingly combined the old parts with new parts acquired for the purpose, each vehicle being a unique blend of Willys, Ford, and Hotchkiss components. In the late 1940s the military intended to replace the Hotchkiss M201 from 1949 with

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4154-401: The vehicle market was by means of stiff, structured petticoats or crinoline dresses, which used steel rods, leading to umbrella frames, chisels, wire wheels, and bicycles. Armand Peugeot introduced his " Le Grand Bi " penny-farthing in 1882, along with a range of other bicycles. The company's logo, initially a lion walking on an arrow, symbolized the speed, strength, and flexibility of

4221-496: The vehicle was also adapted for use as a launch vehicle for anti-tank guns or rockets, and some were fitted with surveillance radar dishes. Directly after World War II , the French government was presented by the US Army with 22,000 Willys Jeeps and Ford GPWs . The objective was to rapidly re-equip the army. Only about half of the vehicles were in a usable condition, however, and in 1946

4288-451: Was first manufactured in 1974. Several Peugeot models were assembled in Australia, commencing with the 203 in 1953. These were followed by 403, 404 and 504 models with Australian assembly ending with the 505 in the early 1980s. In 1974, Peugeot bought a 30% share of Citroën and took over it completely in 1975 after the French government gave large sums of money to the new company. Citroën

4355-642: Was in financial trouble because it developed too many radical new models for its financial resources. Some of them, notably the Citroën SM and the Comotor Wankel engine venture proved unprofitable. Others, the Citroën CX and Citroën GS for example, proved very successful in the marketplace. The joint parent company became the PSA Peugeot Citroën group, which aimed to keep separate identities for both

4422-563: Was replaced by the 406 nearly a decade later. Production of the 405 in Europe was divided between Britain and France, although its 406 successor was only produced in France. The 106, Peugeot's entry-level model from 1991, was also produced solely in France. The Talbot name survived for a little longer on commercial vehicles until 1992 before being shelved completely. As experienced by other European volume car makers, Peugeot's United States and Canadian sales faltered and finally became uneconomical, as

4489-613: Was significant, as it signalled the first time Peugeots would be built in Britain. The 309 was the first Peugeot-badged hatchback of its size, and sold well across Europe. The 309's successor, the 306, was also built at Ryton. The 405 saloon was launched in 1987 to compete with the likes of the Ford Sierra , and was voted European Car of the Year . This, too, was a popular car across Europe, and continued to be available in Africa and Asia after it

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